Tetney Blow Well

Pete, Chris and I set off early for Tetney Blow Wells, as we'd arranged to meet Anglian Water staff at 10 a.m. to pick up a key and go through a site induction. A series of mishaps, including Chris forgetting to pack his wellies, the tyre warning light coming on which meant we had to stop and check the pressures, a Sat Nav that tried to take us through Boston (which was almost grid-locked) and a fair few slow lorries meant that we were half an hour late. 

The rest of the day was less stressed, and we managed to do our survey and get back to the car just before a heavy shower arrived. Anglian Water and the Wildlife Trust have carried out a lot of positive site management, and wanted to gain some idea of the impacts on biodiversity. Sadly their work hasn't pleased everyone - I was stopped by a local who complained that the mowing and scrub removal had destroyed all the flowers and now there just cowslips! It's true that they were the main species flowering, but there were plenty of other species which will flower over the summer.

This image is of Blow Well No. 1 - there are five in total, including a recently re-discovered tiny blow well. The blow wells are the result of artesian springs where water under pressure escapes from the chalk through structural weaknesses in the overlying boulder clay to reach the surface. The wells are reed-fringed and have prolific growths of water starwort and mare's-tail.

The area was used as a water-cress farm from 1948 to 1961 and the remains of concrete channels and pathways, which served four water-cress beds, may still be seen. These beds are now dominated by reeds and great willowherb, and are regularly cut and raked to provide structural diversity and to maintain the flora which includes marsh orchids. The grassland areas provide a fine display of cowslips in spring and are mown for hay in July by a local farmer.